Quote:
Originally Posted by Krieg
I don't have a winter mode, but I do have a Tiptronic tranny that allows starts in third gear.
Anybody do this in a systematic way to determine if it saves gas?
I would think that a higher gear would allow you to keep the throttle open more. Just like short shifting a manual.
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Both of our vehicles have the ability to start in 2nd (the TSX has the slap-shift or Tiptronic-style gate).
The impression that I get, is you're really fighting the torque converter from a standing start in 2nd or 3rd. The practice I use, is to get the automatic in the next gear as quickly as possible (with a target engine speed). Otherwise, your energy is going into torque disbursement instead of to the wheels for forward motion.
Where it may be beneficial, is to start in 2nd on a downhill grade if light throttle input is required.
RH77